Superman (Vol 3) 42
Synopsis for "Before Truth: Part 2" Clark, Lois and Jimmy have escaped to the outskirts of Metropolis, alongside their contact Condesa. According to Condesa, the ones attempting to silence herself are a part of a criminal syndicate called HORDR, a technology conglomerate that gathers information from countless people all over the world in order to get leverage. No matter how powerful their opponents are, HORDR has figured out their secrets. Condesa knows all of this because she used to work for HORDR; but before she can say more, the group is attacked by Shadow Ninjas. Clark tears them apart with his bare hands, amazing the group. While Jimmy and Condesa make preparations to leave, Lois wants to talk to Clark about Superman. She claims that she has kept track of Superman's actions since he first appeared in Metropolis. She even expressed disbelief at Clark's excuse of suffering injuries while playing baseball when he showed up with face bruises at work. Then, she tears Clark's already damaged suit to pieces, revealing his Superman uniform. Clark finally confirms he is Superman. Lois is upset Clark his identity secret from her this whole time, but Clark replies he kept his identity secret because he wanted to have a normal life, yet Lois does not understand why would Superman want to be normal, not to mention that Jimmy and Condesa already know his secret. Condesa reveals the leader of HORDR, HORDR_ROOT, is the one who has been sending blackmail messages to Clark. Deciding they must take down HORDR down, the Daily Planet reporters ask Condesa to bring them to HORDR's headquarters. Condesa explains HORDR has a secret campus, while Clark gets them to the Toymaster's workshop, since he has the resources to decipher HORDR equipment. To gain entrance to HORDR, Condesa has a mask that works as an I.D. mask. While Toymaster replicates the hardware, Condesa is able to program it using her technopathy, the power to speak to machines. The next morning, the group waits for a special bus that stops only for HORDR members. Once they are on board, the bus takes flight. On the flight, Clark thanks Lois for her friendship; she and Jimmy have always stood by him through thick and thin. Still, Lois is upset by recent events; until they arrive at their destination: the HORDR_PLEX. The place has the appearance of a futuristic campus, with floating platforms and coffee stands, and the people behave like college students. Jimmy, drinking a latte, claims the HORDR_PLEX to be awesome, but Condesa replies all the members were forced to join HORDR against their wills, because HORDR_ROOT has threatened to expose their secrets. Suddenly, a huge holographic image of HORDR_ROOT appears in the center of the complex, announcing the presence of strangers in the area. Clark, Lois and Jimmy are approached by robots who act as security guards. Clark grabs them and escapes to another part of the HORDR_PLEX at super-speed, while Condesa is nowhere to be seen. To throw off their pursues, the three get inside a building and come across a series of screens with pictures of Clark putting on his Superman outfit. The computers have all kind of information on Clark, not only about his secret identity, but of his financial records and family history. Above them appears HORDR_ROOT, with an army of robots and Condesa at his side. Condesa was never a defector, she was a mole working for HORDR, and she led the Daily Planet reporters into a trap. HORDR_ROOT offers Clark the opportunity to work for him; for the future belongs to those who control information. Superman refuses and engages the HORDR army, while Lois and Jimmy use the opportunity to escape. Superman plans to use his solar flare to destroy the complex. Jimmy confronts Condesa about her betrayal, and Condesa admits she was forced to lure them into a trap because HORDR was blackmailing her; but now she has the opportunity to escape with them. As Superman holds off the enemy robots, Lois hits HORDR_ROOT with a metal pole, breaking off his mask and revealing a teenager. HORDR_ROOT claims that teenage body is just a node for him, which he quickly discards. Jimmy takes control of the announcement system and urges everyone to escape. While Superman is unleashing his solar flare, a mysterious figure ambushes him and injects him with a substance that neutralizes his powers. The stranger escapes while Superman is left unconscious. The complex is about to explode. Lois and Jimmy find Superman and bring him to a flying bus hacked by Condesa. The group barely escapes the explosion, but Superman is still comatose and Lois is concerned. Appearing Featured Characters *Superman (Clark Kent) Supporting Characters *Coming Soon Villains *Coming Soon Other Characters *Coming Soon Locations *Coming Soon Items *Coming Soon Vehicles *None Known Notes *Coming Soon Trivia *Coming Soon Links *http://www.dccomics.com/comics/superman-2011/superman-42 *http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Superman_Vol_3_42 Category:Superman: Volume 3